Who will win MLG's Spring Fighter Arena this Saturday? Vote here and make predictions!
My predictions:
1. CURBOLICOUS
Advantages: Cage master, pocket Jax
Biggest obstacles: Kabal (REO, DetroitBalln)
2. CD Jr.
Advantages: most fundamentally sound player in the community, Jax master, pocket Smoke
Biggest obstacles: Cage (Curbo)
3. REO
Advantages: Kabal master, pocket Cage/Sonya
Biggest obstacles: Jax (CD Jr., Curbo)
4. Maxter
Advantages: Cyrax master, pocket Cage/Sektor
Biggest obstacles: Kabal (REO, Detroitballn)
5. CD
Advantages: Kitana master, reliable pocket Freddy?
Biggest obstacles: players counter-picking with Kenshi
5. Riu48
Advantages: Sonya master
Biggest obstacles: Kabal (REO, DetroitBalln)
7. DetroitBalln
Advantages: Shang Tsung master, pocket Kabal
Biggest obstacles: Smoke (CD Jr., KT Smith)
7. KT Smith
Advantages: Smoke master
Biggest obstacles: too many Cage, Kabal, and Sonya players
Let's take a look at this pool by pool:
Pool A: CD Jr, Curbo, Riu48, DetroitBalln
There's no clear worst player in this pool....CD Jr is the clear favorite - or would be except he claims to be going all Jax, which puts him on worse footing against both Curbo and Detroit (Remember NEC?). Curbo meanwhile has a Kabal in his pool (Detroit) and a Sonya who could give him trouble (Curbo would do better in the other pool).
I can easily see this pool resulting in a 3 way tie for first with one player going 0-3. But since I have to make a prediction:
PROJECTED RESULTS: CD Jr (3-0), Riu48 (2-1), DetroitBalln (1-2), Curbolicious (0-3). Sorry Curbo, but I think you lose to both Detroit and Riu.
Pool B: REO, Maxter, Crazy Dominican, KT Smith
Here, there's one clear underdog - KT Smith, who has to face two potential Cages (Maxter WILL go Cage, REO might not but he's still REO) and a player who's not only elite anyhow in CD but has plenty of Smoke experience. I can see KT beating CD, but I doubt he does better than 1-2. Sorry KT.
I think REO and Maxter are the favorites of the remaining 3 to take it, with REO the favorite to win the Pool. Maxter is more likely to steal a round from REO than CD IMO, which is crucial.
PREDICTED POOL B Results: REO (3-0), Maxter (2-1), CD (1-2), KT Smith (0-3)
--
FINAL MATCHES:
CD Jr v Maxter --> Seen this countless times, CD Jr wins.
REO v Riu48 --> Closer, but I'm gonna stick with REO for the rematch.
ULTIMATE WINNER:
REO, as his Cage overcomes CD Jr's insistence on Jax.